Ten Hag ‘hopeful’ about one Manchester United star’s fitness for Everton clash

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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is ‘quite hopeful’ that Luke Shaw will be available for Sunday’s Premier League trip to Everton.

And those whoops and cheers you can hear in the distance is probably Rasmus Hojlund’s Cheshire cat reaction to the long-awaited return to Manchester United’s first-choice left-back.

Starved of service as he awaits his first Premier League goal, Ten Hag’s £63 million summer signing is the man likely to benefit the most from Luke Shaw’s comeback, one of the most creatively-minded members of the United roster potentially set for a place in Ten Hag’s travelling squad at Goodison Park this weekend.

Luke Shaw could return for Everton clash

“He’s been training for two weeks with the team,” Ten Hag tells the Manchester Evening News. “And we are quite hopeful that he will return in the squad for Sunday’s game.”

Shaw is back in full training, having not featured since August’s 2-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur. In his absence, Sergio Reguilon, Diogo Dalot, Sofyan Amrabat and Victor Lindelof have all filled in at left-back, admittedly with different degrees of success.

Whether Hojlund himself will be fit to feature on Merseyside remains to be seen, however, an injury picked up at Luton Town keeping him out of Denmark’s November fixtures. Ten Hag also played down the excitement surrounding Lisandro Martinez’s own comeback, despite some very welcome sightings of the Argentina international at Carrington on Wednesday.

Manchester United still injury hit

“From the long-injuries, I don’t think so,” Ten Hag adds, Casemiro also unavailable against an Everton side fired up after than 10 point deduction.

“We have to be patient but as you see, it’s not about the injured players.

“Of course, we know if they are back, the quality will rise. But also we have others in the squad (who are) all quality players and are capable of winning games. That’s why you have a squad. Now is the opportunity to play them for consistency in the starting XI.”